Mike Kanellis Celebrates A Milestone Bigger Than Anything In His Career

Mike Kanellis came into the WWE in 2017 with the promise of LOVE. Joined by his wife, former Diva Maria Kanellis, the new power couple looked set to be the latest mushy love-to-hate heel pairing. But rather suddenly, the Kanellis family were off TV without a mention. Maria announced she was pregnant. Mike Kanellis, it later came out, was battling an addiction to pain pills and had checked himself into rehab.

Thankfully, Kanellis battled his addiction and returned to the WWE. He hasn’t been seen much on TV other than in pull-aparts and Battle Royals, but he seems happy with his spot. Not only that, Kanellis celebrated a significant milestone. He is one year sober.

Sobriety is tough. The desire to fill your body with poison just for a quick fix never goes away. You have to fight it. Addiction is a real disease without a straight-up cure. You can take medicine and see counselors, but in the end, you have to fight with yourself. The belief that you can be better when you’re clean is paramount. I am very proud of Mike for continuing to battle. His sobriety not only gave him a chance to be a father, but he was able to turn his body around. Being on drugs turned him sluggish and lazy. Mike turned his sobriety into fuel to get into the best shape of his life.

Addiction Is Common In Wrestling

Mike isn’t the first and won’t be the last wrestler to battle addiction. Wrestling is a hard life. A grueling schedule, chronic injuries, and stress often lead wrestlers towards abusing drugs and alcohol. On the main roster now are several wrestlers who faced their demons and came out victoriously. The Hardys, Goldust, Brian Kendrick, and Kurt Angle are all proof that you can beat the addictions.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of wrestlers who couldn’t shake their demons and died due to drugs. Bam Bam Bigelow, the Von Erich Brothers, Crash Holly, Test, Miss Elizabeth, Curt Hennig and far too many more to name lost their lives to drugs.

With medicine and understanding of our bodies improving by the day, hopefully, wrestlers can continue to lead healthy and happy lives without the need to destroy themselves with narcotics.

Keep up the fight Mike. We believe in you.